With the exception of the very first game, we've reviewed every single Fallout and expansion. Click through to see what we've thought of the Fallout series over the years.

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We never actually reviewed the original Fallout because it predates IGN's coverage of PC games, but here's what we wrote when we ranked the series ahead of Fallout 4's release: Fallout started it all way back in 1997, and is still a fantastic RPG. It established Fallout’s signature dark-and-gritty atmosphere, its flexible character-creation and perk system, and its open-world freedom that lets you explore the wasteland and find its secrets in your own way. Locations like abandoned vaults, Shady Sands, the Brotherhood of Steel’s base, and Junktown all have memorable moments and characters. And the fact that you can shoot anybody at any time, or create a character with low intelligence and grunt your way through the whole story, or become so smart you can convince the villain to self-destruct, speaks volumes about its openness and replayability.

Fallout 2Reviewed by: Trent WardNovember 13, 1998A lot of people have complained that since the storyline, the graphics and the gameplay haven't changed much, that the game itself is no good. I just didn't find this to be the case. While there's no doubt that this title is extremely derivative of Fallout, I tend to want to thank the programmers for not fixing something that wasn't broken. With its great storyline, huge game world and well written scripts, Fallout 2 gave me many, many hours of totally absorbing gameplay. That's all I'm really looking for. If you're an RPG fan, I highly recommend this game to you.

Fallout TacticsReviewed by: Steve ButtsMarch 27, 2001Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel does just about everything right. The only problem is that there's too much of it. After a certain point, enough is enough. But while your attention holds out, this game is incredibly fun and challenging. Hopefully, Fallout Tactics will serve as a model for future genre benders as we get closer and closer to the ultimate game -- the MMORPGRTSFPS about a super-intelligent racecar that likes to steal ancient artifacts from temples filled with lava.

Fallout: Brotherhood of SteelReviewed by: Ed LewisJanuary 13, 2004F:BOS is a fun, if flawed, hack'n'slash game that provides a good 10 hours or so of shooting, explosives, and plenty of mutants to dig into. The lock-on system enhances the action and makes things more exciting even if the poor camera work tries to work against you. For a change of pace, all of this action takes place in a toxic Mad Max environment rather than the usual AD&D world with mythical creatures and fanciful spells. If you want a good adventure to have with a buddy, F:BOS is a good choice even if it does feel a bit rushed. The music was barely worked on and the camera could have used a lot of fine-tuning, but there's still a lot of beasts to button mash your way through. If this type of action appeals to you, this is far from the be-all-end-all, but a worthy entry in the genre of action games with a bit of an RPG flavor.

Fallout 3Reviewed by: Erik BrudvigOctober 28, 2008It's rare that a game can hit the mark in so many different and often conflicting areas. Fallout 3 offers freedom without sacrificing a focused story. It delivers fantastic combat without forgoing a deep role-playing system. The characters you meet are engaging and oftentimes hilarious without feeling out of place in this harsh world. The game has a few flaws -- most of them technical -- but it's a case where the whole is greater than the sum. It's a fantastic game with incredible atmosphere that offers fun in so many different ways that you're almost sure to get hooked. This is one of the best games you'll play this year.

Fallout 3Reviewed by: Erik BrudvigOctober 28, 2008It's rare that a game can hit the mark in so many different and often conflicting areas. Fallout 3 offers freedom without sacrificing a focused story. It delivers fantastic combat without forgoing a deep role-playing system. The characters you meet are engaging and oftentimes hilarious without feeling out of place in this harsh world. The game has a few flaws -- most of them technical -- but it's a case where the whole is greater than the sum. It's a fantastic game with incredible atmosphere that offers fun in so many different ways that you're almost sure to get hooked. This is one of the best games you'll play this year.

Fallout 3: Operation AnchorageReviewed by: Erik BrudvigJanuary 27, 2009The entire download only took me about three hours to finish which isn't a whole lot of time considering the $10 price tag. I had fun while playing Operation:Anchorage despite a few bugs and a couple of game crashes, and the items you get for completing the missions are awesome. If you get a kick out of watching heads fly in VATS like me, you'll find a lot to like in Operation: Anchorage. The combat levels are through the roof which makes the entire download a thrill ride. Still, I can't help but feel that the whole package was a bit slim. You can't reenter the simulation after you finish it, so you'll have to make sure you reload an old save if you missed any of the pieces of intel or just want to visit Alaska again. What Operation: Anchorage really did for me was get me even more excited for the next two pieces of downloadable content.

Fallout 3: The PittReviewed by: Erik BrudvigMarch 27, 2009If I hadn't experienced so many bugs while playing through The Pitt, I would wholeheartedly recommend it. The download might be a little short for your money, depending on your tastes and how much bang you expect for your buck, but the quests are fun and The Pitt matches that feeling of despair that Fallout 3 does so well. If you can make it through without any glitches, you'll find a lot to like here. Until a patch comes, good luck.

Fallout 3: Broken SteelReviewed by: Erik BrudvigMay 6, 2009Lifting the level cap breathes new life into a great game, but shouldn't totally overshadow a new series of quests that is a lot of fun. By extending the game beyond the main quest, Bethesda has delivered exactly what the fans have been asking for. Broken Steel offers more than enough reasons to justify the 800 Microsoft point price tag.

Fallout 3: Point LookoutReviewed by: Erik BrudvigJune 24, 2009Point Lookout is one of the better Fallout 3 expansions and feels well worth the $10 price tag. There's a brand new area with over a half dozen trippy and exciting missions to find and work through. Plus, there are inbred hillbillies. If you're still looking for more Fallout 3, definitely give Point Lookout a try.

Fallout 3: Mothership ZetaReviewed by: Erik BrudvigAugust 4, 2009Mothership Zeta is not the best add-on for Fallout 3. It's short, focused too heavily on combat through bland corridors, and feels like a missed opportunity. I still had fun while wandering the alien ship, but that is more of a testament to the strengths of Fallout 3 than the strengths of this expansion. The setting here is great, but that's about it.

Fallout New VegasReviewed by: Kristine SteimerOctober 19, 2010In New Vegas, the fun Fallout 3 formula is intact, with more polished combat, high-quality side missions, and the exciting setting of the Vegas strip. Unfortunately, the bugs also tagged along for the ride. If Obsidian and Bethesda had polished up the game by fixing the AI, improving the animations or even gotten it to run smoothly, perhaps it would feel less like a giant expansion of Fallout 3 and more like its own game. Be that as it may, Fallout 3 was a great game, so as similar as it is, Fallout: New Vegas is still a fun ride that offers more for fans of the series to enjoy. If you can look past its shortcomings, this is definitely a wasteland worth exploring.

Fallout New Vegas: Dead MoneyReviewed by: Kristine SteimerDecember 22, 2010If you already own New Vegas chances are that you've accepted the fact that the game doesn't run well and might break on you. Dead Money is no different, so don't expect it to be. So for the patient souls out there, this fresh spin on Fallout is a decent buy. With a level cap raise and an interesting (but at times tedious) 4 to 6-hour quest line, this add-on can be worth the money if you're into survival horror.

If you don't like being stealthy and aren't close to hitting the level cap yet, you should hold off for a bit longer. An inevitable patch should help relieve some of the anxiety, or you could wait for the sure-to-come Game of the Year edition and get more bang for your buck.

Fallout New Vegas: Honest HeartsReviewed by: Kristine SteimerJune 13, 2011When considering the $10 purchase, ask yourself these questions: Do I like Fallout, but need a new place to explore? Do I want a higher level cap? Do I want to know more about the Burned Man? If the answer to any of these is yes, then do yourself a favor and download Honest Hearts. It doesn't change much of the Fallout formula, which is a good thing. The narrative could be stronger and there's a lack of variety in terms of creatures occupying the park, but these are minor complaints about an otherwise enjoyable time.

Fallout New Vegas: Old World BluesReviewed by: Kristine SteimerJuly 22, 2011After playing Dead Money and Honest Hearts, Old World Blues was a great surprise. Sure, the gameplay formula is typical Fallout -- fetch quests, exploration, killing, and moral decision making -- but it's wrapped in a genuinely humorous package. That plus the boosted level cap, new arsenal and charming characters make this package well worth the $10 or 800 Microsoft point price tag.

Fallout New Vegas: Lonesome RoadReviewed by: Kristine SteimerSeptember 22, 2011After spending around seven hours with Lonesome Road one thing became clear: you won't want to purchase it for the story. Like other downloadable content packs, you'll gain five additional levels and some sweet weapons worth some serious cash - er, bottle caps. Unfortunately, those are the only major benefits. In this case, only Fallout fans desperate for more content should embark on this oddly paced journey through the Divide.

Fallout ShelterReviewed by: Justin DavisJune 26, 2015Fallout Shelter is at its best early on: when your fledgling vault is barely able to scrape by, and every raider attack has the potential to topple your fragile society. Once your vault is firmly established, all fear of losing, and thus the fun, fades away. Combine this with a lack of compelling longterm goals, and you have an experience that’s fun for a few days, but lacks long-term appeal.

Fallout 4Reviewed by: Dan StapletonNovember 9, 2015The world, exploration, crafting, atmosphere, and story of Fallout 4 are all key parts of this hugely successful sandbox role-playing game. Great new reasons to obsessively gather and hoard relics of happier times, strong companions, and sympathetic villains driving tough decisions make it an adventure I’ll definitely replay and revisit. Even the technical shakiness that crops up here and there can’t even begin to slow down its momentum.

Fallout 4: AutomatronReviewed by: Jared PettyMarch 24, 2016Automatron is a fun piece of DLC that expands Fallout 4 in some interesting ways, applying the sort of customization previously reserved for settlements to your traveling companions. The results are satisfying. The story mode is brief, the narrative is mundane, and sadly the all-too-familiar Fallout 4 bugs are still hanging around, but the overall experience is rewarding, imaginative, and a pleasure to play.

Fallout 4: Far HarborReviewed by: Dan StapletonMay 20, 2016Fallout 4: Far Harbor adds a large amount of great quests and content within its gloomy but distinctive island setting. Thanks to some well-written, morally ambiguous characters, its choices are as gray as the weather, and much more interesting. Though the new companion isn’t the strongest and the supposedly ruinous radioactive fog is more annoying than threatening, all of the adventuring and new gear absolutely made it worth my while to return to Fallout 4 for Far Harbor.

Fallout 4: Contraptions WorkshopReviewed by: Jared PettyJune 23, 2016Contraptions Workshop seems tailor-made for YouTube or Twitch, a delightfully conceived tool for showing off the creative genius of dedicated and inventive craftspeople to online audiences. It certainly succeeds in that ambition. Building any effective automation requires experimentation and rewards practice, creating a real sense of progression that's surprising for a game with no new mission or story content.

Fallout 4: Vault-Tec WorkshopReviewed by: Brian AlbertJuly 27, 2016Vault-Tec Workshop’s wealth of new structures and tools make it essential for hardcore crafters and Overseer wannabes alike. Its handful of hilarious characters and quests don’t stand up on their own, but they’re not the reason you’d attend the show in the first place. This is settlement builder’s dream, through and through.

Fallout 4: Nuka-WorldReviewed by: Dan StapletonAugust 30, 2016Fallout 4: Nuka-World has a great setting that’s densely packed with spectacle, surprises, and tough battles (depending on your level), and the ability to conquer settlements back on the main map is a fun novelty, but the lack of meaningful decisions leave it feeling more like an actual theme park ride than a choose-your-own-adventure story. Next to Far Harbor’s intriguing storyline and moral decisions there’s not much nuance here.

Every IGN Fallout Review

With the exception of the very first game, we've reviewed every single Fallout and expansion. Click through to see what we've thought of the Fallout series over the years.